Entitlement among athletes is nothing new. In my lifetime, there have been examples of Generation X, Millenials, and Generation Z athletes who made headlines because of their entitlement.
Two names with ties to the Philadelphia market include Ben Simmons and Cutter Gauthier, but the list grows once the parameters open to a national scale.
Simmons (a former NBA ROY, two-time all-defensive team, and three-time NBA all-star) was a more than efficient defender for the Philadelphia 76ers. Shooting a basketball, as a professional in the NBA, was such a rare sight that Simmons received a standing ovation when he took a no-pressure chance in an exhibition game versus the Gaungzhou Loong-Lions in 2019. Every offseason featured a flood of pick-up game footage where Simmons seemed comfortable shooting a basketball away from the NBA, but when tested, he crumbled in the postseason. Instead of competing and refining his game to help the 76ers past the second round of the NBA Playoffs, Simmons is remembered for a fear of failure when shooting a basketball, not contesting the Atlanta Hawks in a postseason series, helping design the ‘Boathouse Row’ jersey for the 2020-2021 season, and milking a holdout against Philadelphia, described as ‘borderline disrespectful,‘ by Joel Embiid.
Gauthier, like Simmons, was among the top of his draft class. Both, in their respective leagues, were taken in the top-five overall picks. In 2022, the Philadelphia Flyers selected Gauthier, and per the player himself, he went up to John Tortorella, introducing himself and shaking the hand of the current head coach. Then, Daniel Brière replaced Chuck Fletcher, and Gauthier had to earn his position in the lineup. A blockbuster trade during a game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins sent Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks for Jamie Drysdale and a second-round selection (Jack Berglund) at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft because Brière held all communication close to the vest.
There are two separate schools of thought regarding entitlement for these players. On one hand, Simmons milked the holdout after Philadelphia constructed the team to put the ball in his hands, meaning the franchise chose him over Jimmy Butler. On the other hand, Gauthier did not play a moment of NHL hockey, yet quit on the team that brought him into the league because his roster spot was not hand delivered by Brière as it would have if Fletcher remained the general manager.
So, why entitlement? How does this correlate right now in Philadelphia?
People are quick to point the finger at the Flyers because they are looking for an answer as to why another quality prospect is on the outs with the franchise. Gauthier was the catalyst. Now, it is Alexei Kolosov.
Last season, Philadelphia endured a lot of moving parts surrounding their goaltending. Sam Ersson became the de facto starting goaltender after learning about the sexual assault charges relating to the Hockey Canada 2018 World Junior team. Felix Sandström and Cal Petersen were recalled from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to alleviate Ersson. Between Ersson, Sandström, and Petersen, Tortorella needed a Herculean effort from the goaltending to help the Flyers entertain a postseason berth.
Ivan Fedotov and Kolosov arrived in North America in March. Both goaltenders did not have a lengthy, featured stay in any capacity with their placement in the organization. Fedotov started one game, a 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Kolosov started twice, finishing with a 1-1-0 record, an 88.5%SV, and a 3.03GAA. As Philadelphia missed the postseason, the backup goaltender role was wide open.
That would elicit a competition, but the problem is that Kolosov had no interest in competing.
What Brière and Ian Laperrière mentioned toward the end of the 2024 Flyers Rooke Camp stands true. Laperrière refuted the notion that Kolosov was isolated. Brière named names, citing Garrett Wilson and Louie Belpedio as teammates displaying signs of hospitality, including Kolosov in team dinner plans. In less than a month, Kolosov arrived in North America, started a pair of games, and, per Laperrière, did not accept the invitations from his teammates.
It became apparent Kolosov lacked the desire to work with the Flyers ahead of the 2024 Flyers Development Camp. At first, it seemed like he was not adjusting to North America and was homesick, which is not pointing blame because that adjustment is particularly hard for international players who face culture shock. However, it became a little more clear when listening to Brière that the homesickness was not the root cause:
“I guess we [the Flyers] can still hope that he [Kolosov] decides to show up at some point if he wants to play hockey. We hope that he changes his mind and decides to come, but it’s not looking like it at this point. It is what it is. We have to move on. We hoped that he would want to compete for a job. When you look at the way we’re built right now, there’s an opportunity there for him, the way we saw it, to start in the American League [AHL]. Most teams around the league use their third goalie or fourth goalie. He [would] be in a competition with the guys we have to play some games this year. On his end, it’s about he wants to be guaranteed a spot in the NHL; if not, he prefers to stay over there [the KHL]. That’s not the way we see it. We agreed last year to loan him back for one year because he wanted to stay home, but at some point, you sign a contract, and we want him here. We want him to start integrating himself into the game; the way it’s played here in North America with the smaller ice, learning the language, and all that. I guess he doesn’t see it that way at the moment.” – Daniel Brière; 9/17/2024
If Kolosov minded his minutes in Philadelphia but not Lehigh Valley, it will cure being homesick? Kolosov believes he should have his place on the Flyers, and if not, the optics say he considers himself above the AHL and will sacrifice the opportunity to compete for an NHL role by staying put in the KHL.
Frankly, that sounds about as entitled as Gauthier, and good on Brière for weeding out that mentality. If prospects bail on the team that drafted them before stepping on NHL ice, let them. The likelihood of a team winning with players who do not want to be there is very low. Philadelphia declared that they wanted players to compete for them, and at each twist and turn, Brière made chicken salad out of, well, you know. The Flyers want players with a fighting, competitive spirit, and Matvei Michkov, though he had the red carpet rolled out for him, has not gone about his business in a way that resembles ‘entitled.’
“It is what it is. We have to move on.” – Daniel Brière; 9/17/2024
Brière shared that Philadelphia does not intend on loaning Kolosov to the KHL, hoping he gets his act together to show up and compete if he wants to play hockey.
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